A Father's love
by himurakenshinfan19
Summary: Kilik, after 17 years recieves a letter from Xianghua, and what was written within the letter will cause him to question all he had come to rely on.
1. The letter

I think that Kilk is Lexia's real Father, no matter what anyone says!

* * *

Kilik sat meditating by a river, continueing the endless journey he had embarked on 17 years prior.

He breathed deeply, trying desperately forget the letter that his former lover and travel companion, Xiangua.

It shocked him how she even considered contacting him at all is miraculos, after he deserted her like that, the way he let her return home with a broken heart,

He knew how she must have felt back then, and he also knew that he didn't deserve to share the same heart break that she surely felt,

He was still haunted by the memory of her tear stained face as he left her side, forever..

But the past was the past, and he had to move on, or at least that was what he told himself to get through the lonliness that spiked his heart every sleepless night without her,

But after reading the letter, there was no way in hell he could ignore the pain from his past any longer,

The letter, what the letter said was-

" Hey, Kilik! Your not still sulking, are you?" He heard the familiar rugged voice of his friend, and former travel companion, Maxi.

He heaved a slightly irritated sigh, then opened his brown eyes, his expression calm and serene,

But his placid look didn't fool Maxi's eyes, he could see that his friend was conflicted with the news that he just recieved.

" No, Maxi, I'm not sulking, I'm trying to figure out what I should do, that's all." Kilik said with a sigh, staring down at his reflection in the stirring river,

The river symbolized accurately what he was feeling, calm at a distance, but inside, he was stirring restlessly, like the river.

" Look, Kilik," Maxi began as he sat beside his long time friend," You need to tell her the truth."

" Yeah, wouldn't that be a pleasant conversation, " Hey, Lexia, I'm your real Father who abandoned your Mother and was not only absent for your whole childhood and left you to be raised by another man, but was completely unaware of your existence till just this morning,

Yeah, I can't see how **that **would possibly go wrong." Kilik said, with obvious sarcasm.

" Okay, it might be difficult, but still," Maxi tried to reason.

" 'Still' what? Lexia believes that that General guy is her Father, and to ruin that for her would just be cruel on my part, Xianghua has already suffered enough because of my selfishness, I won't do wrong by Lexia as well." Kilik protested.

Maxi heaved a sigh, he couldn't argue with him, he was right, Lexia was a sweet, innocent girl, and to shatter the foundation of the happy home she left behind in China, that just wouldn't be right.

" So what? Are you just going to ignore the letter, pretend that Lexia isn't your only Daughter? Just leave it in the air, just like that?" Maxi asked,

" No, of course not, I just, I don't know." Kilik replied, resting his face in his hands. He was so lost, he didn't know what to do, it was more then he ever thought he would have to face,

But the one he had to think about right now, was Lexia.

Then they heard some rustleing in the bushes,

The two men didn't have a strong reaction, they knew who it was.

" Xiba! Come out, you really suck at stealth!" Maxi yelled to his pupil.

Maxi stood up, with a look of defeat.

" You know, you shouldn't easedrop on people's conversations, right?" Maxi lectured.

" Aw, I'm sorry, Maxi, I was looking for you to see if you got any food, and then I heard the two of you talking, and just, kind of sat there, but I didn't mean to snoop, honest!" Xiba said, waving his hands in front of him.

Kilik couldn't help but smile at seeing how much Maxi had matured over the years, and the Fatherly look he took on when scolding his Student.

" Well, thats exactly what you did, so be sure not to do it again!" He continued lecturing.

" Hey, its not that big of a deal, Maxi," Kilik said calmly, then looked to the younger Warrior." How much did you hear, Xiba?" He asked, smiling kindly.

" Well, I heard, basically just the part about you being Lexia's real Dad, and how you don't know how to tell her, and considering whether or not you should at all." Xiba explained, seemingly unaware of the seriousness of it.

" So pretty much the whole thing?" Kilik asked with a light chuckle.

" Yeah, I guess I did." Xiba replied while nervously scratching the back of his head.

" Why are you so calm about this, Kilik?" Maxi asked, confused at his new calmness.

" Because I doubt that Xiba's the type to spread word about something that doesn't concern him, especially if it may hurt Lexia." Kilik said, still smiling, his calmness now was somewhat eery.

He turned back to Xiba, "You wouldn't do anything to hurt Lexia, right Xiba?" He asked, his smile making Xiba somewhat nervous.

Maxi saw what he was doing, he was making sure that Xiba wasn't going to say anything about it, which was understandable, but still, was scaring Xiba like that really necissary?

Yeah, it probably was, Xiba couldn't keep a secret to save his life!

" No! I'd never!" Xiba exclaimed, he really loved Lexia, and would do nothing to hurt her ever!

" Okay, thats good to hear." Kilik said, relieved.

" But I have to ask, Kilik, do **you **ever plan to tell her?" Xiba asked, being very uncharacteristicly serious.

This surprized both Maxi and Kilik.

" Well, I'm still figuring that part out, so I can't say for sure right now." Kilik explained.

" Alright, I'll leave it be, I wouldn't ever want to do anything to hurt Lexia, but the real question is, Kilik, do **you?" **He asked, his expression still serious.

" Xiba! You said you were goon spar with me today, come on, hurry up!" Lexia pretty song-like voice could be heard in the distance.

" Oh, crap! I forgot," Xiba said, slapping his forhead,"I gotta go, I'll see you two later!" Xiba practically yelled as he ran kicked up Kali-Yuga and ran off in the direction of the irritated Lexia.

" That, was, unexpected." Maxi said, confused still at Xiba's more serious side.

" For lack of a better word." Kilik replied, wondering himself just how much of that boy's nature was a mere put-on, and how much of it was real. " Still, I'm happy to see how protective he is of Lexia." He said with a smile.

" Yeah, he is, and hey, at least now he knows where to get his blessing when he didcides to ask her to marry him" Maxi said with a smirk.

" That is **not **funny, Maxi, not funny one bit!" Kilik said, then started to walk away, irritated.

" So would you give your blessing to him?" The former Pirate continued to tease as he followed behind him.

" Okay, Maxi, say Lexia was your Daughter, what would you do if Xiba wanted **your **blessing to marry her?" Kilik asked, challenging him a bit.

" Well, I'd give him my blessing because I'd know he would be a good husband to Lexia, he'd treat her right, and would protect her with his life." Maxi stated, without much continplation.

" I sometimes envy how easy it is for you to make a dicision." Kilik said, smiling once again.

But his smile would soon fade when they heard a distant scream!

" That sounds like Natsu!" Maxi yelled as he and Kilik ran in the direction the scream came from!

Natsu was always so fearless and confident, if whatever she was facing actually provoked her to cry out in pain, it had to be a very strong opponent!

Just one such creature popped into Kilik's mind, **Nightmare... **

They arrived to the horrific scene of the battle, and Nightmare was **not **the attacker.

Natsu was beaten bloody, and being hoisted up by her neck by a strange, completely Armored female warrior, her armor was shattered, with her blood trinkling down her arms and through the broken metal, her strawberry blonde hair was a frizzy mess, falling over her red clothed shoulders, her eyes now lacked her battle happy, fierce determintaion, and all that remained was a young girl, beaten within an inch of her life.

Solid Red eyes glared through her Helm, mercilessly about to take the young Kunoichi's life, a sadistic smile forming behind her Helm.

But as the Warrior was about to crush Natsu's neck, she was side-swiped in the face by a glowing Staff!

The impact of Kilik's attack knocked the unknown Warrior back, and on to the ground, dropping Natsu.

Maxi caught the young Kunoichi, who fell limp in his arms, she was alive, just severely injured.

" Maxi, take Natsu and the others and go on ahead, I'll take care of things here." Kilik stated as he took another battle stance, ready to sly his new-found opponent.

"Alright, you better not die on me, Kilik!" Maxi said as he carried an unconscious Natsu and went to get Xiba and Lexia to safty.

_Good luck, Kilik. _Maxi thought as he ran with Natsu in his arms.

Kilik waited till Maxi was at a safe distance, then turned back to his opponent, who now was standing up.

" So this is what you've become, eh, _**Tira?"** _Kilik asked cooly, as he looked on in half pity and half disgust at the troubled Woman that once faithfully served the former Nightmare.

" Oh, so you've already caught on?" She asked in a teasing tone, as she removed her Helm, revealing her pale, yet darkly lovely face, with a creepy grin on her painted black lips that made her look like a crooked and cracked porcelian doll.

Her long Raven hair was worn loose, and her fringes were grown out over her Wine red eyes.

" As you've already guessed, **I'm **the new Nightmare." She said joyously, her grin remaining as she displayed her new body Armor proudly.

Kilik's eyes narrowed, sensing a sinister plan in the making.

" Why are you here? And why did you just try to kill Natsu?" He demanded angerly.

" Oh, I didn't start that one, you see, I was looking for that cheery Chinese girl, and the Ninja girl went all noble, it was very, **disgusting." **Tira said mockingly, with a tone of disgust lacing her voice at the last sentence, in a tone reminiscent of the Gloomy side of her stattered mind.

Kilik felt distain wask over him as well, that 'Chinese Girl' that she was reffering to was Lexia!

His mouthed formed into an enraged frown at her demented giggling, then she continued her gleeful rant." Oooh, what's with that face, sourpuss?" She asked, with cheery Tira now in control.

" Why do you want Lexia?" Kilik demanded darkly, clutching his Rod tightly in his anger!

" I'm not gonna tell you!" She mocked in a sadistic sing-song voice, much like a demented child.

" Well, whatever the reason is, I'll kill you before you go anywhere near her." Kilik swore, raising his weapon in protection of his Daughter, and lunged at Tira with murderous intent!

The two Warriors engaged in mortal combat, both more then willing to destroy the other!

_I wasn't there while Lexia was growing up, but I will take my long overdue responsibility for her and protect her from harm, I swear on my continueing love for Xianghua, I'll protect her! _

* * *

There you go, chapter one, I don't own SCV, and I want a honest review, did I keep them in character?


	2. A Father's choice

Okay, I didn't realize that Lexia and Xiba were actually siblings in the canon story at the time I wrote the first chapter, and I love the story to much to change it now, so anyone who's bothered by it should just think of this as a seperate AU kind of thing where they aren't siblings, or just not read it, thank you.

* * *

Kilik joined with yet another one of the many spirits he channeled, and he swung a Katana right at Tira!

Fighting with a style very reminicent of Mitsurugi.

Tira managed to dodge the swing, did a spin-like movement around Kilik, and tried to slam her sword over his head!

Kilik quickly blocked the attack,

A dead lock ensued for a moment, the two Warriors glaring eachother down,

" Wow, Kilik's sure determined, not at all like he was 17 years ago," Jolly Tira mocked him further," I wonder why that is?"

" Thats none of your concern, Tira!" He shouted angerly as he shattered her blade into millions of small, sparkling shards that sprayed all around then,

And in the haze of the shock of the attack, Kilik lunged forward with a look of intense hatred and slashed clear across Tira's Torso!

Tira choked in pain as blood came out of her mouth, she fell to the ground, she clutched the bleeding injury given to her by the once peaceful Monk, who was now glaring at her with a look she had never seen from him before,

It was a look that reminded her of simular look in the eyes of, other people,

Like with Rafael, Sophitia, Cassandra, Patroklos, and even that blonde Kunoichi,

What did that look mean?

Why did it fill her with such rage and envy,

She felt a sudden emptiness, a dark void within her, that she couldn't explain.

" Well, are you going to kill me, Monk? Have you truly reached a point to where you'll just kill someone in cold-blood without the influence of the Sword?" Gloomy Tira asked darkly with an evil laugh, followed by a hard cough that spilled up more blood.

Kilik said nothing, he just allowed his weapon to disappear to dimentions unknown, then silently walk away.

Even though he knew that Tira would probably be better off dead, he wouldn't be the one to bring about her ultimate fate.

He didn't want Lexia to find out that her Father is a Deserter, **and** a Killer.

" What, aren't you going to kill me? You know that I'll just go after Lexia again if you don't!" Tira screamed from where she layed.

Kilik turned around slowly, a dark gleam in his dark brown eyes.

" I'm letting you live because a pathetic, sad woman like you, with no will of her own, a puppet who just dances on the whims of a dead Demon Knight, is not worth staining my hands with,

And I promise you, if you ever so much as think about going after Lexia, or any of my other friends again, I **will** change my mind, and I** will** destroy you!" He swore, and he meant it, with every fiber of his being.

" Damn you, you Bastard! Damn you! I'll send you straight to hell!" The Gloomy, enraged side of the tormented girl's fractured mind screamed in her rage!

Kilik would have normally empathized with the endless torture that was Tira's life,

But no more,

Not after she hurt Natsu, and threatened his Daughter.

He would never forgive that.

He then walked away, leaving the broken doll of a girl to her agony...

* * *

Lexia and Xiba sparred playfully with one another, she would swing ten feet of blue, and it would be blocked by the Kali-Yuga, and that continued to be their ongoing dance of the two equally matched young fighters,

Then Xiba stopped as soon as he noticed that Lexia was getting tired.

" Hey, Lexia, do ya wanna stop?" He asked in an excitedly cheerful tone, doing a backflip and balancing on his staff.

" Yeah, I guess we can stop for a moment," Lexia replied, placing her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

" I just can't figure out how you have so much energy, Xiba."

" Well, when you spend most of your life in the wilderness, you get lots and lots of energy to spar." Xiba replied, jumping off of his Staff.

_And to survive the ruthless enviorment_!

When he landed on the ground in front of Lexia, for a fleeting second, their eyes were locked into eachother.

Then they quickly looked away, cheeks flaring.

Xiba may have already come to terms with his feelings for her, and prayed to every god that he knew of that she felt the same way about him, but it didn't mean he had reached the point where he was brave enough to tell her yet!

When it came to fighting, it was an easy task, but when it came to things like love and girls, he was at a loss, he had no idea what to do with himself whenever he was around her.

He had spent much of his life all alone, with no one to talk to, to spent time with, or even talk to, to have fun moments like the ones he has with his friends now,

Nothing,

It was just him, and he didn't know why, to this day it was a mystery to him.

Which was the reason why his demeanor was apparently childish in most people's eyes, he never truly learned how to associate with other people, let alone the proper way to act his age,

But he was mature enough to know that sometimes people just don't think of answers like that, and would rather just assume their own.

But none of that mattered, not anymore,

Now, he had something worth fighting for.

For his new-found friends,

And proving that he was indeed worthy of Kali-Yuga,

And most of all, for Lexia,

She meant the world to him, she **was** his world.

He loved her, more then words could describe..

Now, all he had to do was finally get up the courage to say it to her himself!

" W-We should see what the others are doing." Lexia suggested, breaking the awkward silence, but did nothing to penitrate the determined tention that still hung in the air between them.

" Good idea, maybe they have some food on them!" Xiba shouted excitedly!

_All you can successfully talk about is food, Xiba, real smooth_.. He bitterly scolded himself,

Then the two teens heard Maxi shout,

" Hey guys, are you alright?" The former Pirate aproached them with an unconscious Natsu in his arms.

" We're fine, Maxi. Why are you shouting?" Xiba replied, a little startled.

_The air is thick with blood, who's_? Xiba thought, the sensitive nostrils giving to him by the wilderness flaring up.

His eyes widened upon seeing Natsu in the condition she was in, but did his best to make sure that his face was that of fright, and not the rage that burned within him...

" Oh my god! What haapend to Natsu" Lexia gasp as she ran over to her side when Maxi set her down.

She was completely shocked to see a Warrior as strong as Natsu in such a state!

Lexia hired her as her bodyguard because she had confidence in the Kunoichi's strength, and because she was happy to make a new friend,

But it never crossed her mind for even a second that something like **this** would come of being her Body guard!

_You were naive, Lexia, how could you be so stupid?_ She thought in her despair!

" She was injured by some Woman in Armor, but don't worry about that, it feels like Kilik already defeated her,"

" Will she be alright?" Xiba asked, worried.

" She's badly injured, but she should be fine." Maxi explained to Xiba.

Xiba silently gave a sigh of relief.

But Lexia fell dead silent," She was protecting me, wasn't she?" She asked softly, tears streaming down her pretty face.

She wouldn't forgive herself if this was all her fault!

If she was responsible fr her best friends injuries,

" I'm not sure, it could have just been a one sided attack." Maxi said with a shrug, but still concerned for Lexia, if she was anything like her Parents, which he alread knew that she was, both of them equally! This would be just the kind of thing she'd hold herself responsible for.

Whether it was her fault or not.

" Yeah, so you don't have to feel bad about it, Lexia!" Xiba chimed in, placing a comforting hand on Lexia's back.

" Right," She replied, wiping away her tears." Thanks, Xiba." She said with a smile.

_Your so naive, Lexia,_ She scolded herself again.

" Anytime!" Was his response.

Then her face turned more normal," I will be the one to tend to her wounds, its the least I can do." She said.

" That, and because your both girls!" Xiba shouted tactlessly.

" Okay, let's get going now before you get yourself hurt, Xiba." Maxi said with irritation in his voice as he dragged Xiba away from the two girls.

" If you need any help, just call for me, okay?" Maxi called out to Lexia.

" I will, thanks!" She called back.

Then when they were gone, and she was alone with her unconscious friend, her face went solemn, and in silence, took off Natsu's broken Armor, ond torn up clothing, and proceeded to clean and dress her wounds,

Then, when she had finished, she could not hold in her grief any longer!

" I'm so sorry, Natsu, I didn't mean to put you in such a state, I had no right to take you away from your Village, I never should have let you come with me, then maybe you wouldn't have been hurt like this!" She lamented to Natsu and the forest surrounding her as she sobbed like a helpless child to the endless tree's!

Then, she felt a warm hand place itself on her shoulder.

She gasped at the unexpected contact, then looked behind her her only to find,

Kilik.

" Oh, Kilik-San!" She exclaimed while trying to wipe away her tears.

" Are you alright, Lexia?" He asked, kneeling beside her, and looking upon his recently discovered Daughter sadly.

" I'm fine, its Natsu you should be worried about." She replied.

" Natsu should be fine, she just needs to rest, now are** you** alright?" He asked once again, seeing the despair that she felt clearly.

" Thank you for all of your concern, Kilik-San, but I promise you, I'm alright." The young Adventurer insisted with a cheerful smile. " By the way, Maxi said that you took care of whoever it was that attacked Natsu,

Can you tell me who it was?"

" It was Tira, I don't know if you know who she is, but she is now the new Nightmare." Kilik explained calmly.

Lexia nodded," I've never met her, but Patroklos told me about her, he said she's really evil." She replied.

" She is, and she is also insane, and her loyalty to the original Nightmare is obsessive, and absolute, it doesn't shock me that she would want to become that which is the only thing in this world that she loves." Kilik continued to explain.

" Did you kill her?" Lexia asked, worried.

" No, I didn't." He answered. " But because I didn't, she may be trouble in the future."

" I'm fine with that." Lexia replied.

_Besides, when she comes back, I can get back at her for hurting Natsu_! She thought angerly.

" But theres one more thing that I'm still not clear on," Lexia said.

" What is it, Lexia? " Kilik asked.

" Why did she come here in the first place?" She asked.

Kilik fell silent at that question, which made Lexia nervous.

" Whats going on, Kilik?" She asked again, panic rising in her voice.

" Well, you see," He began,

He didn't know what to do, how do you tell someone that their best friend got gravely injured because someone was looking for **her**, but her friend just happen to get caught in the crossfire?

And Lexia was so sensitive, so emotionally frail, this news would kill her to hear.

But Kilik knew that she deserved to know why her dearest friend got hurt,

And that she was going to be hunted by the forces of darkness.

She also deserved to know the truth about her relation to him, but that would have to wait till later.

" Tira, was after **you**, Lexia." He answered sadly.

Hey dark Brown eyes widened and a shocked gasp came from Lexia's mouth at his words,

" I'm not sure why they are just yet," The Monk continued, but paused when he saw how upset that she was!

Tears started to fall from Lexia's eyes at the realization that,

It really **was** her fault!

" Lexia, don't blame yourself for this." Kilik tried to calm her as she continued to cry.

" Why not? Its was my fault! Tira wanted me, and Natsu tried to protect me, and-" She went quiet when, to her surprize, Kilik pulled her into a hug.

It was a little surprizing to Lexia, Kilik was always kind, but he was also very distant and quiet, like he didn't want anyone to get to close.

Yet here he was, hugging her, comforting her in her moment of dispair, it was surprizing, very surprizing.

" Lexia, this was not your fault, there was no way that you could have predicted this, Tira, and everyone else who has every fought on the side of Soul Edge, are masters of deception, and attack people without any warning, so there isn't any need to hold yourself responsible for this." He told her, as he allowed her to cry in his embrace.

He held her tightly as she sobbed relentlessly into the night, lamenting the dark path that awaited her the following day,

And the danger that her friends would be in because of her.

" Don't worry, Lexia, you won't face this alone, I promise you, I'll be right by your side every step of the way." Kilik promised his Daughter, from the very bottom of his heart, he meant every word of it.

" Thank you, Kilik. Your a good friend." Lexia said in a soft voice in between her sobs,

This was the first time since she left the Palace that,

She felt helpless!

Like the helpless child that she truly was.

She never should have left her Mother, or her home.

But she was happy to have Kilik there with her.

He was a kind Man,

A kind Man indeed.

Lexia was happy that he was her friend.

* * *

And thats chapter 2 :)


	3. Xiba and Maxi

Xiba sat quietly in the grass, the air heavy with the colliding sickly sweet scents of Natsu and Tira's blood, he tried to ignore the scent and began processing everything that Maxi had just told him.

" So that means that Lexia is in danger now, right?" He asked, in his usual childish demeanor.

But inside, he was as angry as a moutain Wolf when baring his fangs against an attacker in protection of his pack!

Xiba would not let anyone near Lexia, or Natsu!

They _were_ his pack,

His Family,

And he would protect them both!

Xiba then heard in the distance Lexia's sobs in the distance.

_I figured that'd be her reaction to this, but still, its good that Kilik's comforting her_. Xiba thought, also detecting Kilik's scent drifting beside hers, though a part of him wanted to be the one comforting her, he knew that Kilik wanted to be there for her, for his Daughter, and he wasn't about to take that chance from his Friend.

" Yeah, not sure why though." Maxi confirmed, leaning against a tree by where Xiba was sitting.

" I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt Lexia, she's so kind, and helpful, and-" The young man paused.

" Beautiful?" Maxi asked, clearly picking on his young student.

Red flared on Xiba's cheeks!

" No! I-I mean, yes, she is, but, that wasn't what I was gonna say, I-" The wild boy stammered, completely taken off guard by that!

Maxi simply chuckled and said," I'm just messin with ya, Xiba."

Xiba pouted angerly, not at all amused.

"But seriously, you need to tell her how you feel." Maxi said after he stopped laughing.

Xiba's face went solemn," I would, theres nothing in the world that I want more then to tell her, but, she's a girl from a Noble Family, what would she want from an peasant Orphen raised in the wilds?" He asked sadly, realizing for the first time just how wide, and steep the gap was between their social standings.

And the futility of his feelings.

Maxi frowned at Xiba's negativity," Come on, Xiba, you know that Lexia's not like that, he cares about you." He said.

" I know, but that doesn't mean she feels the same way that I do." Xiba replied.

" That's why you need to tell her, to find out." Maxi stated.

A part of Xiba, a voice, much like a gentle imaginary 'bird' on his shoulder said that Maxi was right, and that he should trust the kindness in Lexia's innocent heart, and confess his feelings to her, knowing she'll accept.

But another part of Xiba, a darker side of Xiba,

His angry, distrustful, more Feral Animal-like side of himself,

His eyes wild and sparp,

His teeth bared,

He was like an enraged Tiger,

A lonely, isolated, wrathful Tiger.

A reflection of what he used to be,

That is, before he met his friends.

Then, he no longer had a reason to be like that of a beast,

He felt for the first time the freedom to be what he truly was.

A Boy.

But that other side that he had produced as a means of survival remained still, as a part of his subconscious.

It was a side that he rarely tapped into,

A side he wished he no longer possessed,

Said that he should not allow himself to let his guard down, not again,

Not after last time.

And that though Lexia acted nice, she, in reality was just like everyone else, every **_normal_** person,

A liar.

But Xiba tried to ignore that side of himself, and try to see the brighter side of everything.

" Maybe your right, Maxi." Xiba finally replied, his smile returning.

" Of course I'm right." Maxi stated proudly, to which Xiba smiled once more, admiring his Teacher's confidence.

" Besides," Maxi began once more, only more seriously.

" Was your childhood really so strange, do you really think that it would actually scare Lexia away?" Maxi asked.

Though he tried not to pry into anyone's business, he found himself unable to shake off his curiousity on this one.

Everything about Xiba, wild appearence and inhuman Acrobatics aside,

From the way he spoke,

To the way fought,

Even how he carried himself,

Screamed out the existence of someone who was more then just a playful, unaware, naive child, much more.

It screamed out the hidden cries of a boy that was forced to survive a harsh terrain all alone far to early in his life,

Force to become an Adult well before he was ready, simply to survive long enough to see the light of the next day,

The light of dawn the only thing to save him, to provide him protection.

Inspite how well he hid the truth, it could not be shaken entirely.

The past is a part of who everyone is, and it can't be escaped,

Not ever.

And even though Xiba had never told him, or anyone else for that matter,

Maxi was well aware of his Animal level senses,

And they were as sharp as Natsu's Swords!

Able to hear the smallest raindrop before the storm,

Or detect the faintest odor of blood traveling through the dense air,

And could see far beyond what any human eye can see.

He tried to hide it, but you can't really hide the fact that you can already smell someone's killing intent well before any threat comes into view,

Or warn of rain when there not a cloud in the sky,

You just can't hide something like that.

Xiba tensed up at Maxi question.

" Well, its kinda a long story." He nervously replied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

" Well, no bettewr time to start, right?" Maxi asked, then noticed the reluctance in Xiba's eyes,

He probably never shared that part of his story with anyone before, and was understandably nervous about telling it to someone.

Maxi knew, probably better then most people,

Growing up in Asia with a Father who's Eyes, hair, and skin were not like everyone elses, you learn quickly that people are dishonest, judgemental, close-minded, and above all ignorent!

That cruelty was what ultimately led to his Father's demise.

That was probably why he became a Pirate in the first place,

On that ship, there were people from all walks of life,

Skin all shades of color,

You weren't not judged by your Heritage, but by your loyalty to the crew.

Aside from his father, the crew was like the Family he always wanted.

" You can trust me, Xiba, I promise you that." Maxi swore to his young Student, now sitting beside him, with a smile.

Xiba returned the smile," Thanks, Maxi." He replied.

" I know that."

* * *

Sorry its so short, but I'm having some writer's block right now, so bare with me, kay?


End file.
